Investing for a sustainable future

Dr. Victor Mizrahi PhD

Photo credit Rick Guidotti

Victor Mizrahi, PhD, is a successful serial technology entrepreneur and investor. Prior to investing Mizrahi had worked in research, development, manufacturing, executive management and investor relations. Dr. Mizrahi is named on 58 patents covering a range of optical technologies.

In 2000 Victor Mizrahi founded, and was the President & CEO of, Semrock, the industry leader in developing and manufacturing high-performance optical filters for the biotechnology industry, including widely used optical filters for PCR instrumentation, critical to the early detection of COVID-19. Having overseen 25 straight quarters of top-line growth, with exceptional profitability and free cash flow, Mizrahi piloted the successful sale of Semrock in 2008 to IDEX Corporation of Northbrook, Illinois, staying on until 2009 as the President of the Semrock Unit. Semrock continues to this day as a highly successful enterprise. Funded by Mizrahi Enterprises and venture capital, Semrock significantly improved upon the optical filters available for research, analysis, drug discovery and other key applications, resulting in greater measurement speed and accuracy, and dramatically enhanced filter lifetime. While Semrock was originally founded in 2000 to develop and manufacture advanced optical components for the telecommunications industry, after the collapse of the telecom market in 2001 Mizrahi led Semrock in a dramatic repositioning, emerging in 2002 as a provider of state-of-the-art optical filters for the biotech industry.

Prior to founding Semrock in 2000 Dr. Mizrahi served as the Chief Scientist of Ciena, a developer and manufacturer of cutting-edge optical networking systems for voice and internet traffic. Mizrahi joined Ciena in 1994 as a very early employee. In 1997 Ciena had the then-largest initial public offering in startup history. Now nearly ten thousand employees strong, Ciena develops cutting-edge networking technology for leading communications companies around the world. During his time at Ciena Dr. Mizrahi was responsible for the development and large-volume manufacturing of key fiber grating optical components, initiated the formation of teams that developed and manufactured both specialty optical fiber and high-performance thin-film optical filters for Ciena’s high-bandwidth optical transport systems, oversaw the groups responsible for reliability testing and optical component qualification, and supported the sales efforts, amongst other responsibilities.

From 1991 through to 1994 Dr. Mizrahi was a research scientist at the storied Bell Laboratories, then a part of AT&T. At Bell Labs, he developed a significant program in optical fiber grating technology and its application to telecommunications systems.

Prior to 1991 Mizrahi was an Assistant Research Professor at the world-renowned Optical Sciences Center (now the College of Optical Sciences) at the University of Arizona, where he did research in nonlinear optics and the physical properties of glass optical fibers.

Mizrahi received his Ph.D. in physics from the University of Toronto in 1985, specializing in the field of nonlinear optics; his M.Sc. at the Weizmann Institute in Israel in theoretical physics; and his B.Sc. in physics (awarded with High Distinction) from the University of Toronto. While a research scientist Dr. Mizrahi co-authored over 60 scientific publications in various fields of modern optics and made over 50 presentations at technical conferences.